Chicago proposes $260.8 million settlement for 16 cases tied to ex-CPD detective Reynaldo Guevara

Chicago city lawyers proposed spending $260.8 million to settle 16 lawsuits brought by 17 men who said disgraced former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara coerced them into confessing to crimes.

The men spent more than 383 years in prison, according to the city, and city lawyers recommended the payouts as part of a mass settlement that still requires City Council approval.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said the lawsuits posed a serious financial threat to the city.

“While previous administrations turned a blind eye to these abuses and kicked the can down the road, we are confronting this challenge head on, meeting the obligation we have to bring some level of restitution to those who have been harmed and their families,” Johnson said in a statement.

The settlements would be paid in 2027 and 2028, city officials said.

Resolving the 16 cases without trial would save the city between $300 million and $400 million in legal fees and possible verdicts, officials said.

City lawyers have not yet released a breakdown of how much each plaintiff would receive.

Guevara has been accused of falsifying police reports, framing suspects and coercing witnesses. The proposed settlement would more than double the number of lawsuits the city has resolved over Guevara’s conduct.

Chicago has already spent at least $206 million to defend and settle 16 earlier lawsuits naming Guevara, according to city records.

All 16 cases in the latest proposal were brought by Loevy & Loevy, a Chicago firm that specializes in police misconduct litigation.

Records show 41 cases naming Guevara remain pending, including the 16 cases that city lawyers now recommend settling.

The City Council has not yet voted on the proposal.